Let’s start the first week of the new year in style! Despite all the healthy eating that is about to ensue, it’s important to have a classy, spectacular dessert on the ready. This is that dessert. I don’t do a lot of “dinner party” desserts like cakes or pies or full cheesecakes because they can be difficult to serve and are not very portable.

Also, they are a lot of work and not always worth the effort. This cheesecake is simple, stunning, and totally worth the effort. Trust me on this one – a show-stopping dessert in three easy steps!

First we start with my favorite brownie recipe as a base. It’s rich, full of chocolate flavor, and ease when made in a saucepan on the stove. Next, the no-bake cheesecake portion whips up in a flash in the stand mixer and is smooth and creamy. Mini chocolate chips add a bit of crunch. Obviously the cheesecake needs a topping and it’s ganache to the rescue; a soft and decadent treat on top.

This brownie cheesecake was shared with college friends at our annual holiday gathering and was a hit! A little slice goes a long way. I personally enjoyed the cheesecake cold, for breakfast, throughout the week. But who doesn’t enjoy cheesecake for breakfast, lol!

In a medium saucepan melt the butter, 1/2 cup sugar, water, and instant coffee. When melted add in 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips and stir until combined and melted.

Add in the eggs and vanilla one at a time and stir to combine. Add in the flour, soda, and salt mixing until just combined.

Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake for 18-20 minutes until the top is shiny and a toothpick comes out almost clean. DO NOT OVER BAKE!

Let cool completely.

Cheesecake Layer – In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream until you reach stiff peaks. Transfer to another bowl.

Add the cream cheese and 1 cup sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, no need to clean the whipped cream out of the bowl. Beat together until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla.

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Let’s start our New Year right; veggies and bean. Easy and delicious. Healthful. A recipe so good and tasty I made it several times throughout the fall. Since a batch makes so many servings, it makes a for a simple week of lunches. I love the different textures from the veggies and beans; the lentils make the soup seem almost creamy.

Can we talk about how weird 2015 seems? I type it lot for work, but it seems like this mysterious time of the future. It’s hard coming to terms with this new year, I’m losing track of years and how much time has passed? Is this what it feels like to get older? My mom has been talking about her and my dad’s trip to NC for their “30th” wedding anniversary this spring. Here’s the issue, I’m already 30 and they’ll be celebrating 35 years. Oh the confusion and fun! Maybe eating loads and load so bean and veggie soup will improve memory!

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After all the hits of 2013, 2014 was a little slow on Pale Yellow. However, after checking my stats from WordPress, I’m actually up 9,000 views from last year. So after all, not a bad year. There was a lot of quinoa salads and overnight oats; not as many cupcakes. It’s hard to believe I’ve been blogging for three years and this past one was the most stressful. Going back to school has cut into my free time drastically. Imagine that, lol! I hope 2015 allows me to focus on quality or quantity because I still enjoy this hobby very much!

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This summer I spent almost three solid weeks with my family and despite the sad circumstances, it was lovely to spend so much time with my mom, aunts, cousins, and the rest of the crew. Maybe that is why I needed to go back to Michigan for Thanksgiving, I was craving all the family time. My first week in Michigan for Christmas has been filled with a ton of family togetherness and I’ve adored every minute of it!

Last Saturday started with my mom and I sharing a bit of wine, Sunday was the birthday party for my cousin’s and grandpa, Monday was cookie baking & a MSU basketball game, Wednesday/Thursday consisted of Christmas shenanigans, and Friday was a family fun day at the Henry Ford Museum and Slows BBQ. And the rest of the weekend was filled with friend time. Needless to say, it has been busy and a blast!

Despite the busy, there has been plenty of time for baking; there is always time for baking! My cousin requested something with chocolate and fruit and this is what I came up with at the last minute. I’m not personally a fan of cherry, but the rest of the family really enjoyed these little cupcakes. The chocolate cupcake base is a perfection of soft, moist, rich crumbs that is super moist and flavorful; a truly light chocolate cupcake. The frosting is not too sweet, but is creamy and full of cherry flavor. The chocolate-covered maraschino cherry is a bit messy (and would be much cuter with a stem), but a delightful garnish! It’s cupcake time for all your cherry-loving cupcake friends!Print the Recipe!

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, soda, powder, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix together on low with the paddle attachment.

Beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and buttermilk in a small bowl and add to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined and then scrape down the sides.

Turn on the mixer and add the hot coffee slowly until well combined.

Fill cupcakes liners with 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter and bake for 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.

Turn out of the cupcake tin and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Covered Cherries

1 jar maraschino cherries (about 30)

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate

Drain the cherries and save the juice.

Melt the chocolate in double boiler.

Dip each cherry halfway in the chocolate and place on wax paper to cool. Refrigerate to harden completely.

Whipped Cherry Frosting

1 1/2 cups whole milk

7 1/2 tablespoons flour

juice from 1 jar of maraschino cherries

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk and flour. Keep whisking until the mixture becomes smooth and thick resembling pancake batter. Pour in the cherry juice little, by little while mixing to keep the mixture thick.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.

Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy – the mixture will stay grainy, it’ll be ok.

Add in the cooled flour/milk mixture and beat until the entire frosting is light and fluffy and no longer gritty. If the frosting is runny, refrigerate for about 15 minutes and then rewhip.

Add to a piping bag with a large round tip and pipe a dollop.

Place a chocolate covered cherry on top.

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Can we do one more holiday cookie? Let’s do another holiday cookie! I’m sure there are plenty of you out there with more holiday parties to attend this weekend and I want to make sure you have fresh cookies for your tray. If you can snag a bag of these kisses, they may be 50% off, double bonus – easy Christmas Cookies with on-sale ingredients!

These cookies were made for the annual cookie exchange and caroling event with my church group. The weird thing about this event is that in the past I would be embarrassed about singing out in the open and openly celebrating the season, yet something has changed. Without irony and without embarrassment I can celebrate and rejoice in my faith! And it was fun and filled me with the holiday spirit (and Spirit). A great night!

An easy cookie with a brownie-ish base and a kiss on top, nothing can go wrong. The cookies are a little bit crispy and a little bit chewy. A minty chocolate kiss on top is the perfect compliment. Either whip up a batch this weekend or save them for next year, no matter what, this a wonderful cookie!

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Merry Christmas! I’m about to jump in my Christmas Eve dress and try out some red lipstick for the first time and head over to my cousin’s for dinner. The cookie trays are finished and the presents are wrapped. The champagne is being chilled for tomorrow’s mimosas and I’m ready to rock this holiday. It’s hard to believe Christmas is already upon us.

Let’s do gingerbread without the men or the houses. Let’s get back to gingerbread in its simplest form – a flavorful, gingery bread. That is what we have here. Tons of flavor in little bites. There is molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and a little clove for kick. The squares are soft and chewy, everything you want from a gingerbread. These are a delightful addition to the holiday tray, a perfect compliment to all the other cookies. Let the holidays begin!

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It’s been a busy weekend. Friday I ran around and did important things like oil changes and gift giving and packing. Saturday was spent driving back to Michigan and listening to Serial. I listened to the whole series in a day and I believe that is the best way to do it; it made the drive much, much easier. I’m satisfied that Sarah gave her opinion and I agree with her, but look forward to what the future can hold. Saturday night was filled with family silliness and Sunday was my cousins’ and grandpa’s birthday party. Needless to say, it has been a non-stop start to Christmas break!

Whenever I arrive in Michigan, one of the first things I do is load up on wine. Every trip has lots of get-togethers and parties and wine is essential. So I went Trader Joes and was a little bit judged. “Are you hosting this holiday or is it just for you?” Totally just for me! I laugh it off as a “home for the holidays” type of situations, but really Trader Joes? You know we go there for your cheap and delicious wine!

I don’t think I bought enough wine PS, it’s going to be a long two weeks! At least there is plenty of fudge to eat. I wanted to make homemade fudge from scratch without any sweetened condensed milk. I cheated a bit and used caramel squares, but I think that is okay since my candy thermometer was already engaged elsewhere! The fudge is rich, creamy and sweet. The caramel topping is perfectly salty and lovingly sticky. Despite the number of steps involved, you get a lot of fudge for your efforts. Holidays = fudge, make it happen!

Spray a 9×13” pan with baking spray and then line with parchment paper leaving 2 wings. Spray the parchment paper as well.

In a medium saucepan melt together the butter, brown sugar, sugar, corn syrup, heavy cream, and salt over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat so the mixture simmers for about three minutes. Stir occasionally. Stir in the chocolate chips until melted.

Use a candy thermometer to monitor the heat of the mixture. Cook until it reaches 234 ˚F. Remove from the heat and let rest for about 10 minutes.

While the fudge is cooling, melt the caramels with the heavy cream. Stir and heat until the caramels are melted and smooth.

Back to the chocolate fudge; stir in the marshmallows and vanilla. Stir for at least five minutes until the mixture is lighter and fluffy.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Pour the caramel over the top and swirl with a knife.

Sprinkle generously with fancy sea salt.

Let cool for about 20 minutes before refrigerating to cool completely. Cut into squares and enjoy!